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PAB hears Annapolis bill updates on complaint records, timelines and trial-board chairs
Summary
Board staff summarized several bills filed in Annapolis that would affect complaint retention, officer-request processes, timelines for Internal Affairs investigations, and who can chair trial boards; members asked for follow-up information and statutory context.
Board staff summarized several bills introduced in Annapolis that could change how misconduct complaints and investigations are handled in Maryland and in Baltimore County.
An update listed SB 625 (described in the meeting as a bill that "requires that after 3 years ... an officer a complaint against an officer is found is not charged ... it would be automatically removed from the officer's record"), HB030537 (described as allowing an officer to request a show-cause order if they believe rights were violated during an investigation), HB01222 (would allow officers to file complaints against other officers to be handled through the Police Accountability Board instead of exclusively through Internal Affairs) and HB0139 (would require Internal Affairs to complete investigations within nine months of receiving a complaint). The presenter also discussed HB0186, which would allow locally licensed attorneys who reside in the jurisdiction to chair trial boards in that county, and a proposal to toll the "year-and-a-day" statute of limitations while any related criminal investigation is pending.
Board members raised procedural and scope questions about the bills, including whether officer-filed complaints to the PAB would change how matters are routed to Internal Affairs or alter anonymity protections; staff said the legislation appears to add officers explicitly to the list of people who may file complaints and that further review of exact statutory language is required.
No board vote occurred on the legislative items; staff said they would provide bill numbers and links in the meeting minutes and update the board as the measures move through Annapolis.
